Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-12-29

The boys all eat together in o large
hail. This hafl is IN tie building which
you sec when you ioos through the
ratings on Nrwgate Street. II very
large, as indeed lt has need to lie, fol
there are oyer seven hundred bovs te
sit atitse tables. 1t tas high-pointed
windows. aud at one end Is an organ,
and at one s,dc a carved pulpit, where
"a ..Greca:i." or senior scholar, stands
at the beginning of each meal and says
grace. Every i'iaurs,lav in Lent there
is a .'suppiag in puiliic. when visitors
come and wats,h tiie ..Blues" as they
cat their supper. Tic Lord Mayor,
the Treasaeer, or the Governors pre-.
side. When supper is over. the boys
sing an snihem ard, walking two BY
two, PASS IN froIt of tho principal
guests. 10 whom they bow, This cero.
| na,ifs is called Glowing round"
AT a.4e time swarms of rats used "a
come TO the bail aud have their supper
in 1t after the boys had gone to bed.
They sometimes were seen running
along the top Of the picture-frames,
and che Blues used to catch them
|swith tseir hands. They thought il
would show a want of pluck to lay
traps for them.
The boys wait on themselves attable.
Some lay the cloth, others bring the
salt, still others pass the bread, and
in a word. each has his special charge
These charges are known as tho
"trades," aud the boys are called
bread-boys, water-boys, potato-boys,
aud SO on, according TO their duties.
1t is one of the great sights Of the Hos
pital to see them preparing for dinner
About one O'clock the trades-boy.
leave the Fairgrounds, for the dining
ball. Many of them come IN such .
hurry t;iat their faces are red ane
warm with running; their. skirts are
stu tucked up in their girdles: anc
their pockets, stuffed with balls and
other treasures, hang heavily down be
hind.
The cloth-boys begin work. and very
awkward they are about il sometimes
once saw one little fellow who, in hi
efforts to place the cloth straight
walked right up. the middle of Tho
table on the cloth itself. giving it littl,
pokes into ti'e right direction with the
tip Of his boot Then the mng-boys
mustard-boys, pepper-boss, salt-boys
bearing the articles of their trades ID
big baskets, follow aud set the t,bles
This done. they 20 below to the hal
| quadrangle, where all the othel
'Blncs" are assembled. The bel
rings. Tire warden, who Is the chic
superintendent Of the boys when the,
are not in school, comes in to preside
The boys fall into rank. according 3,
their wards, each detachment headcs
by one Of the number bearing eolore,
flag. The buglc sounds. The ser
| geant, or drill-mastcr, calls out hi
orders, the principal Of which Ii
'.Hands out Of your poeketsv Thel
the Hospital baud strikes up msrcl
and the seven hundred and fifty boy
march In to dinaer. When they reael
the cloisters, certain of the trades-boy
leave the ranks and 20 down to tn
kitchen. There, under tho superin
4 tendence of the cook, they take tn
| dishes of meat, buckets of potatoe
| and baskets OF bread, that have beel
prepared, and carry them upstairs.
When the boys are all Ia the hall
there Is an interval OF silence. Th'
.-Grecian" says grace, and then follow
such chattering and clattering as
am sure was never heard anywher
else. A matron, at the head Of cacl
table. carycs for the boys Of her ward
and the monitors and beadles keel
order. think Of all the trades-b boy
the waser-boys have the hardest time
For often they have To fill their can
two or three times during the cours
i Of dinner, and 10 do this they mus
walk downstairs, through the cioistcr
and halfway to the Newgatc Stree
entrance. Elizabeth Robins PeBnell
IN 50. Nicholas.